WINNIPEG -- The City of Winnipeg is bringing back some its temporary employees who were laid off earlier in the pandemic, as it begins to reopen its libraries and fitness facilities.

On Wednesday, the city said as of March 8, fitness services would be reopening at the following facilities:

  • Chief Peguis Fitness Centre
  • Cindy Klassen Recreation Complex
  • Elmwood Kildonan Pool
  • Fort Rouge Leisure Centre
  • Freight House Recreation Centre
  • Kinsmen Sherbook Pool
  • Pan Am Pool
  • Sergeant Tommy Prince Place
  • St. James Assiniboia Centennial Pool

While the fitness services will be available, the pools and arenas will still be closed.

HOW TO USE THE FITNESS SERVICES

The city said there is no guarantee there will be space for walk-ins due to capacity limits, so anyone looking to head to the fitness centres are asked to book blocks before arriving.

These blocks will be offered weekly, and reservations can be made online or by calling 311 up to 30 minutes ahead. Each Thursday, another week of fitness blocks will be added to the availability for registration.

The city said no group activities will be allowed, and change rooms will be closed. The city said it will be collecting contact information from visitors using a QR code system for contact tracing. If people don't have a smart phone, staff will manually take their information which will be securely kept for 21 days.

Those who book a block at a fitness centre will be asked to keep two metres of distance from anyone who is not a part of their household. Between the two-hour blocks, the fitness centres will be closed for 30 minutes for cleaning.

These areas will also be available for people who need a temporary place to get out of the cold, the city said.

LIBRARIES TO REOPEN

Along with the fitness centres, all city libraries will be open as of March 1 for contactless holds, pickups and returns only. The Cornish Library will be closed for renovations.

The libraries will expand their hours of operation and will be open on Saturdays. The book chutes for returns will be available 24/7.

CITY BRINGS BACK SOME WORKERS

The city said with the return of these services, it is bringing back about 75 temporary part-time employees who were laid off.

In November, the city laid off about 600 temporary staff with the Community Services Department.

The city said the employees returning to work will help support the reopening of the facilities.

More information about the fitness facilities and libraries can be found online.